“If you’ve had enough of a poorly built home extension roof, you are in the right place!”
Roof extension issues often get fixed with a single repair costing €2,000-€4,000. Hopefully your issue gets fixed and you have no ongoing problems.
Over the last 20 years we’ve come across hundreds of home extension roofs that require constant repairs. Spending €2,000-€4,000 every couple of years can really start to add up.
Why is there a problem with my home extension roof?
Home extensions are often built by smaller, less established builders who don’t have the knowledge and skill levels to ensure that the roofs that they work on will last for decades. In comparison, a main house roof will be constructed by experienced homebuilders and will usually have little or no problems over the lifetime of the house.
Many materials, many problems!
Home extension roofs are constructed with a wide variety of materials. Slate, Tile, PVC Felt, Ash Felt, Fibreglass, Aluminium Panels, Zinc Panels, and Industrial Steel Panels are all commonly used. It is very challenging for less knowledgeable and experienced builders to understand the correct design and workmanship required for all of these materials.
Are you experiencing any of these 5 extension roof problems?
1. Water leaking through windows and along internal ceilings and walls
Design & Workmanship Issues
Faulty ventilation design can result in condensation in the internal roof structure that can look like a leak
Not enough of a slope in the roof means rainwater starts penetrating roofing material leading to leaks inside your home
If the connection between your main house and extension has been poorly built or badly designed, it will leak.
If construction work around windows and skylights are shoddy or don’t follow your architects instructions, this can also cause leaks
Material Issues
Cracked concrete and cracked felt roofing often cause rainwater to penetrate and create leaks.
Even in well designed and built extensions, bricks and rendering between the extension roof and main house will crack over time causing leaks
If cheaper materials were used, they will degrade around your windows resulting in leaks.
2. Damp stains on ceiling and discoloured plasterwork caused by condensation
Design & Material Issues
Faulty ventilation design will cause water to condense in the roofing substructure. Damp stains and discoloured plasterwork will appear on your ceiling
A vapour barrier layer is an essential part of the design of a metal or felt roof as it stops dampness forming in the roof structure. If a vapour barrier is not installed, your roof will rot and create damp stains and discoloured plasterwork
If the vapour barrier becomes damaged for any reason, then condensation will start forming through the roofing substructure and extension roof ceiling causing damp patches and discoloured plasterwork.
Workmanship Issues
A badly constructed vapour barrier that does not follow the architect’s instructions can lead to rotting and the creation of damp stains and discoloured plasterwork.
It is crucial that roofing air inlets and outlets are constructed according to the architects instructions. If some of them are missing, then air will not flow through the extension roof and condensation will start forming. This can lead to rotting of the wooden substructure as well as damp stains and discoloured plasterwork
3. Blocked guttering and overflowing guttering
Design & Material Issues
It is critical that the guttering for your extension roof is the correct size for your roof. Undersized guttering will constantly overflow, damaging the extension roof and external brickwork.
Due to the intricate designs of roof extensions, they often require internal guttering in the valleys of the roof as well as the standard side guttering. If your roofing design is missing this internal guttering, or the internal guttering is not large enough, then rainwater will build up on your roof and eventually cause damage.
It is essential that your roof extension has emergency gutter outlets. This ensure that even in extremely heavy rain when normal guttering overflows, that excess water drains away and does not cause leaks.
Workmanship & Material Issues
If any construction work around the metal gutter joints on metal roofs is shoddy, then guttering will start leaking along the joints and may start damaging and discolouring the nearby brickwork and concrete.
We do not recommend PVC gutters. PVC guttering usually needs to be replaced every 10 years. PVC gutters can quickly discolour, deteriorate and leak.
4. Pools of water on your extension roof
Design Issues
The slope of your extension roof will depend on what roofing material is used. If your roof is designed with a slope that is not large enough, water will start pooling when it rains and eventually penetrate into the roof and deteriorate your roof.
If your roof design is faulty, it will result in condensation and wood rot. This will weaken your roof and eventually sections will be caused to sag and water will pool in these sections.
5. Visible damage on metal, felt and slate and tiled roofs
Metal Roofs
If you have visibly rotted or corroded metal panels on your extension roof, this means that the original design has inadequate ventilation or the vapour barrier layer is missing. Replacing these panels will not solve the issue as more and more panels will become corroded overtime and eventually the whole roof will fail.
Felt & PVC Roofs
Felt and PVC roofing will become cracked over time due to naturally occurring expansion and contraction as a result of seasonal temperature variation. When this happens, the whole roof needs to be replaced.
Slate & Tiled Roofs
Many homeowners have problems with slate and tiled roofs. It is essential that slates and tiles are properly secured at the point of initial installation. If they are not, then sections will start to come loose on an ongoing basis during heavy rain and wind.
If your roof extension has numerous problems, a Zinc Roof might be the answer
1. Why smart homeowners use Zinc for their home extension roofs
Zinc has been proven to last 100 years or more providing that it is correctly designed, constructed and maintained.
Over 80% of the roofs in old Paris are constructed from Zinc and many of these roofs are achieving a 200-year-old longevity.
Zinc is the most appropriate material for environmentally friendly roofing because it is 100% recyclable and uses very little energy to manufacture because Zinc has a very low melting point.
Architects love Zinc because it is a high-impact architectural feature as well as having the highest environmental friendliness rating of all available roofing materials.
Zinc roofing and cladding is often featured in the popular TV programme Grand Designs.
2. Eliminate unplanned expenditure on your property
Your mortgage provider will love your new Zinc Roof because it will be seen as an investment in your home.
If you purchase a new Zinc Roof, there is a good chance that your current mortgage provider will fund a mortgage top-up to complete the works.
If your mortgage provider funds your Zinc Roof, you will pay through your monthly mortgage rather than with your savings. Mortgages are the cheapest way to borrow money.
In comparison, if your extension roof is suffering from serious design or workmanship issues, then you can expect to keep having to fund spot repairs from your savings every couple of years at a cost of €2,000 to €4,000 each time. Eventually you will need to fund a full replacement roof when your extension roof completely fails.
In addition with a new Zinc Roof, you will no longer need to keep funding the redecoration of your home extension interior caused by ongoing water damage.
3. A zinc roof adds value to your property
You can expect a higher final sale price of your property as you will be able to prove to prospects that the extension in the property is fully secure. In comparison, declaring all the spot repairs that you have made to potential buyers can reduce their offer price as they might expect to have to replace the extension roof after purchase.
Your home extension with Zinc Roofing will look substantially more attractive than your neighbours’ properties.
When you select Boyle Copper & Zinc Craft Ltd to replace your current home extension roof with a Zinc Roof, we will provide you with a 10-year Workmanship Warranty that you will be able to transfer to the new owner.
Zinc is a premium material that will be recognised by discerning potential buyers. Read the article “Zinc: The Dark Horse of Metal Roofing – Zinc Roof Costs 2019” published by RemodelingCosts.org to learn more.
4. A new zinc roof is an architectural feature
When you decide to replace your current home extension roof with a Zinc Roof, you will have the opportunity to add more Velux windows and Skylights to maximise the natural light entering your property.
Your new Zinc Roof will be handcrafted which will give it a natural pleasing look. In addition, the Zinc material of your new roof is a traditional natural colour that will be guaranteed to match with any existing brickwork, rendering or stonework.
By choosing Zinc for your extension roof, you will have the opportunity to improve your home exterior further by adding matching Zinc canopies to your front porch and dormer windows as well as matching Zinc soffits / fascias / guttering to your main house roofing.
5. Your new zinc roof will be in safe hands
Our Director, Alan Boyle, is one of the few fully qualified Coppersmiths based in Ireland.
Alan is a Journeyman who completed his apprenticeship at the Heating & Plumbing Guild in Munich, Germany in 1996.
Alan’s qualification is fully endorsed by The Chamber of Trade for Munich and Upper Bavaria, Germany. He is also a fully qualified Mechanical Engineer having trained at the Dublin Institute Of Technology in Ireland.
Alan has over 25 years experience with hard metal installations.
Alan will be leading the design team for your project to ensure that it lasts as long as it should.
Boyle Copper & Zinc Craft Ltd has been established for over 13 years.
We have completed over 2,000 cladding and roofing projects in Zinc, Copper and Steel.
We work with homeowners, building owners, developers, builders, architects and insurance repair companies.
Some of our clients include:
Iconic Buildings
Royal Opera House
Oval Cricket Ground
Famous Homeowners
Ryanair CEO – Michael O’Leary
U2 Member
Corporates
Bank Of Ireland, Wexford
Canon Building, London
Two of our recent projects
VM Zinc Quartz standing seam roofing to a residential extension in Foxrock, Dublin.
VM Zinc Quartz standing seam roofing to flat roofs and dormers of a residential property in Clonakilty, County Cork.
10-year Workmanship Warranty, 30-year Material Warranty, 10-year Insurance Backed Warranty
Boyle Copper & Zinc Craft Ltd offer a 10-year Workmanship Warranty as standard. We are so confident of our work, that our Workmanship Warranty will cover both the design of your new Zinc Roof and the roofing installation works.
VM Zinc will also provide a 30-year Material Warranty for the Zinc material used in your installation. Boyle Copper & Zinc Craft Ltd is a fully qualified authorised installed for VM Zinc.
As an approved roofing installer of The Federation Of Traditional Metal Roofing Contractors (FTMRC), we can organise (for a small additional cost) a 10-year Insurance Backed Warranty (with an option to extend for a further 10-years). This insurance will ensure any required repairs to your roof will be covered even if Boyle Copper & Zinc Craft Ltd go out of business.
Client Testimonials
“The project was a large and complex residential new build in Druids Glen with a large,detailed roof and wall sections in metal. We heard of Boyle roofing through an industry contact, word of mouth is always the best way to acquire new contractors. We were looking for a new metal roofing contractor as our contractor was retiring. We met several contractors; however, Boyle roofing had a culture and passion which we felt dovetailed with our own views. As we have to build long term relationships with our suppliers due to the nature of our projects, collaboration from our suppliers far outweighs price. Once Boyles started onsite, we knew the fit was right, excellent communication, commitment to programme and dedication to quality. Boyle copper roofing are and will remain a part of our supply chain and we would recommend them without hesitation. One final point….During one foul day of bad weather I was trying to cover a section of works with great difficulty and Darren and Jack from Boyles just ran over to help without hesitation and I have not seen such kindness in many years in our industry.“
John Mullins, Vexamen Ltd, Owner
“Boyle Copper & Zinc Craft LTD completed a project for us in Kildare. They supplied and installed VM Zinc Anthra to the wall cladding and roofing. We could not recommend the company enough. Their professionalism, knowledge and expertise made the process trouble-free and uncomplicated. We heard of the company through word of mouth. We will definitely utilise their services in the future.“
Darren O’Connell, Darren O Connell Construction Ltd, Owner
“We would have no hesitation in recommending Boyle Copper, they supplied and fitted Zinc Cladding on our Wicklow Library & Archive Project, good communication & excellent service.“
Carmel Crampton, Byrne & Byrne Building Contractors (www.byrneandbyrne.ie), Project Manager
“Boyle Copper carried out the zinc wall cladding for us on a residential rear extension in North London. We heard about Boyle Copper through a Google search. Boyle Copper was one of two that we approached. We chose Boyle Copper because their price was in line with the other supplier, so we knew the job was priced correctly. Also because of the speed with which Alan reacted to our enquiry. As soon as we’d emailed, he was on the phone to discuss the project. He also followed up to chase us up which was good. Others were less forthcoming, especially as it was a small job.
Alan offered a CPD session for our team which was really good. Alan also advised us on another project with his expertise which was great.
I appreciated that they chased up the job even though it was small. Generally great communication with Alan and the guys on site. I would recommend Boyle Copper and would use them again. They were quick to reply and did the work quickly and accurately. The guys on site were also very skilled. I would use them as my preferred contractor.”
Stephen Mackie, Sean and Stephen Architects (www.seanandstephen.com), Architect
“Boyle Copper helped us on the re-roofing of our converted factory. This involved removing the existing aluminium sheeting and installing a new cool roof solution with standing seam VMZinc. The works were further complicated by the fact that a large array of solar panels had to be removed, stored and reassembled. Paul Cousins, Business Development Manager (SIG Roofing Advisory List) came to look at the site and recommended Boyle Copper & Zinc Craft Ltd.
We chose Boyle Copper because they demonstrated that they were knowledgeable, helpful and interested in the details, which gave us confidence. Also the price was competitive compared to our other quotes. The communication was really good. Alan always got back to us in a timely manner and the guys on site were brilliant – they were always on time and very considerate.
I would certainly recommend Boyle Copper & Zinc Craft Ltd. Technically they were excellent, they were also considerate, flexible and good value for money.”
Brian Ford, Building Owner
“Our architect brought Boyle Copper on board. He recommended them as he had used them on other projects and the price matched with expectations. Communication was very good with Alan and the team. It was perfect for the job.
I would recommend Boyle Copper – a) because their price was what we had budgeted and b) the product and application was to a high standard.”
Barry Doherty, Argyle House Property Developers, Property Developer
“Boyle’s were by far the most reliable contractors for this type of work that we have used. Communication was first class with Alan always on hand to help the architects with regs, detailing and design issues.”
Tony Bracaglia, Famella Construction, Builder
Book your consultation with Alan NOW
FAQ
1. What is your typical quote for an extension roof replacement?
Our quote will be in the range of €400 – €600 (incl VAT) per square meter of roofing depending on the complexity of your extension roof. A typical roof extension of 19 square meters with 2 existing Velux windows will be around €7250(incl VAT). This will include the full renovation of the roof (removal of the old roof slates, tiles or felt and waste disposal and also the new substrate decking under the new metal roof). The price excludes new or additional windows and skylights.
2. Will there be any extra costs during installation in addition to the original quote?
Possibly, on rare occasions. For example, if we open the roof and find a damaged joist that needs to be replaced; plumbing that needs to be diverted; electrical wiring that was not visible at the time of quotation. Basically, things that cannot be foreseen at the time of quotation. If this occurs, we will clearly show you the additional works that need to be done and we will do them at cost.
3. What are your payment terms?
Generally, we would require a 50% deposit followed by 50% payment of balance when half the works are complete. We can also offer an incremental payments option depending on your personal credit rating.
4. How can I check your Coppersmith qualification and membership with the relevant trade federations to confirm that you are a reputable contractor?
Alan Boyle, the director of the company, is a qualified Coppersmith with over 25 years of experience who trained in Munich, Bavaria. Boyle Copper and Zinc Craft Ltd are registered with FTMRC and VM Zinc. You can contact them directly to verify our membership. Our FTMRC membership requires our work to be checked on an annual basis by FTMRC.
5. Can I see examples of other similar jobs to mine that you have done?
Upon request, we can send you photos of similar jobs.
6. Will I require the services of an architect?
Generally, yes. We work directly with many architects, so we will be happy to speak with your architect. If you don’t have an architect, we will be able to design your Zinc Roof for you ourselves.
7. Will I require planning permission for a new Zinc Roof? Will I need to inform my neighbours?
Generally, there is no requirement for planning permission. You can inform your neighbours that you are having works done once we have confirmed your installation date, so they won’t become concerned if they see strangers arriving at your property.
8. Will I be able to change my roof windows and/or have additional windows installed?
Yes, we do this regularly and work with the major brands. We can install Velux and similar. For an additional charge, we will be able to do this work at the same time as your Zinc Roof installation.
9. Can I have a skylight installed if I don’t already have one?
Yes, we do this regularly and work with the major brands. We can install Velux and similar. For an additional charge, we will be able to do this work at the same time as your Zinc Roof installation. You can make good any internal plasterwork yourselves, or we will be able to find you a local tradesman to complete the internal works for you.
10. Can I have matching gutters, downpipes, soffits and fascias in Zinc as well?
Yes. Our price per square meter generally includes all associated gutters, downpipes, soffits and fascias on the roof extension supplied in Zinc. Subject to an additional cost, you can also opt for matching Zinc equipment on the main house roof.
11. Can I get the Zinc in different colour options?
Normally we recommend using the natural grey Zinc (known as Zinc Quartz) as it blends in well with all other building materials. We can offer other colours which would be more expensive.
12. I have noticed "waviness" in the zinc roofing panels in your photos. Will I also get this "waviness" effect in my new Zinc Roof?
This waviness is called the “oil canning effect” and is a natural characteristic of the Zinc material. This will give your new Zinc Roof a more natural rather than a manufactured look.
13. What happens if a leak appears after the new roof has been installed?
It is extremely rare that this will happen. If it does occur, please contact us. Providing that the installation is still within our 10-year Workmanship Warranty period, we will come out to investigate and rectify the situation.
14. How long is the installation process and what is involved?
On average it will take 1 week. We first remove the old roofing followed by installation of the new timber decking which is then followed by installation of the Zinc Roof.